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Europan Antarctic Program
The Europan Antarctic Program is the national Antarctic research program headed by the Kingdom of Europa. It is one of the largest programs, behind the Soviet and Argentine ones. History The Kingdom of Europa has been involved in Antarctica since the late 1950s. In 1957 a private expedition stayed in a temporary station during the summer. A few other expeditions were held in 1959 and 1960. The Europa Institute of Antarctic Research was founded in 1961 and sent a mission to Coats Land to study the feasibility of building a more permanent station. A small building was built in 1963 and 25 people could remain there at one time. It was disassembled in 1965. The EIAR was renamed the Europan Antarctic Program in 1965. In 1966 the Domus Station (Latin for Home) was built. This became the primary point for all Europan expeditions to the continent. Other bases would later be built, like Mario Zucchelli and Da Vinci Station. The EAP organized a transantarctic expedition in 1977 which took of from Domus and went through the south pole across to Mawson Station. In 1989 Da Vinci Station went through a power failure and began to freeze so its 15 researchers were forced to make a trek of several hundred miles to Domus Station using skis and sleds and carry what few provisions they had. Miraculously no one died, though there were several cases of frostbite. Research stations Europa operates several research stations in the continent of Antarctica. Domus Station Domus Station is the largest and most important base used by the EAP. This station is actually a group of various buildings which form a small settlement. It is occupied by up to 900 people in the summer months and in the winter (April-October) by about 100-120 researchers. This station is capable of being supplied by air since it has a small airfield. Its primary uses are for Oceanobiology, Oceanography, Geology, Geomorphology, Glaciology, Meteorology, Climatology, Seismology, Magnetism and Ecology. Concordia Station Concordia Research Station, which opened in 2005, is a research facility that was built 3,233 m above sea level at a location called Dome C on the Antarctic Plateau, Antarctica. It is operated jointly by the Europan and French Antarctic programs. Concordia Station shares many stressor characteristics with long duration deep space missions, in particular extreme isolation and confinement, and as such serves as a useful analogue platform for research relevant to space medicine. During the winter the crew are without possibility of evacuation or deliveries for 9 months and live for a prolonged period in total darkness, at altitude almost equivalent to 4000m at the equator. Concordia station is particularly useful for the study of chronic hypobaric hypoxia, stress secondary to confinement and isolation, circadian rhythm and sleep disruption, individual and group psychology, telemedicine, and astrobiology. Concordia station has been proposed as the one of the highest fidelity real-life Earth-based analogues for long duration deep space missions. Since 2008 the Europa Space Agency has used the station to prepare its astronauts for space missions. Da Vinci Station Da Vinci Station is a station deep in Marie Byrd Land. It is the nearest station to Amundsen-Scott, on the South Pole. Conditions here are extreme and is nearly as cold as Vostok Station. Antarctic Naval Station The Antarctic Naval Station is a base operated by the Royal Navy of Europa on Palmer Land. This base is used to study weather, communications and monitor "supernatural activity". Most of it's activities are undisclosed. Equipment Scientists and explorers with the EAP are given top-level equipment to ensure their survival in the frigid cold. Following the 1989 Da Vinci incident, all Europan bases are equipped with solar and wind-powered generators which are unlikely to fail (the chances are 0.07%). Land transportation is achieved using the LM005, a heavy duty Biogasoline-powered vehicle built by Lamborghini to withstand polar travel. Those who venture out from the bases are given a "Space Suit" to wear, This suit is made from a material similar to the space blanket, which traps over 98% of one's body heat. Category:Europan Antarctic Program Category:Europa